


you're the one (who signed up for this)

by pana (panaceaa)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Humor, M/M, Marriage, Married Life, Mild Sexual Content, Rival Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 10:22:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30087654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panaceaa/pseuds/pana
Summary: From somewhere in the restaurant there's the distinct sound of someone sniffling through their tears, and from the other direction someone blows their nose. Goro blinks rapidly and his eyes quickly fill with tears of his own as he brings his free hand up to his mouth in a clear sign that he wasveryovercome with emotion."Your hair is like the gold spun by Rumpelstilskin," Akira goes on, his tone bleeding passion. “The shade of your eyes like the sweetest spilled wine. When you crushed that watermelon between your thighs, I knew I wanted my head to be next- excuse me, my heart I mean."Goro nondescriptly kicks him in the shin.”Ow,”Akira mouths before quickly continuing. "You have such agentle...soul that shines like the brightest light. I managed to steal your heart, and now I want to steal your hand in marriage. So, would you do me the absolute honor of marrying me?”
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 18
Kudos: 217





	you're the one (who signed up for this)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KivaEmber](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KivaEmber/gifts).



The restaurant they’re eating at is exceptionally opulent.

In the time it took to walk to their table alone, Goro counted a total of six chandeliers, fundamentally useless things that gave off little actual light and only served as an exorbitant display of wealth. In his experience, the most high society parties with the most obnoxiously wealthy hosts would in turn have the most needless amounts of chandeliers. Not that Goro usually judged the worth of an establishment by something so insubstantial, but still, he recognizes that the restaurant they were currently sitting in was a place for the social elite- or at the very least, the rich. And no matter how they tried to blend in, the middle class patrons were always easily distinguishable from the rest. However, Goro has long perfected the art of looking as if he’s someone who belonged in these types of places.

Of course, that was a talent that had been picked up more for necessity than desire, which is exactly why Goro never thought he’d be one for overly ornate restaurants. They were the types of establishments that his piece-of-shit of a father would dine in with the business associates he was trying to impress.

But if it was Akira inviting him out here, then who was Goro to say no?

It hit differently when Akira took him out to these types of places. No hidden meanings, or trying to entertain the capitalist vultures who made every high profile social gathering a cut-throat game. And strangely enough, he’d come to find that under these different circumstances, the atmosphere was actually rather enjoyable, in a strange impractical way.

Goro had requested about a dozen wine samples, and then bullshitted his way through pretending he had the refined pallet he was supposed to have for these things. They’d both ordered the same main course, which they’d managed to order by finally asking the waiter what he would _recommend_ (after tirelessly attempting to decipher the French-Japanese cuisine hybrid dishes that all had descriptions that seemed needlessly excessive). They’d ended up with a very decadently seasoned grilled fish with a ridiculously overdone presentation, but it’d been cooked to perfection and so neither of them had any complaints. Still, Goro couldn’t help but be a little bitter about having to refer to a waiter’s judgment, normally he was much better with navigating menus, but apparently his knowledge of French cuisine hadn’t been up to par.

Well, no matter, he’d simply need to study up on it so he’d be prepared next time.

“So, Goro, _my darling_ ,” Akira begins without preamble, the playful edge to his tone evident. “Have I mentioned that you look positively _ravishing_ tonight?” His eyes are bright in the low light of the restaurant, and with his heavy-lidded gaze and slow smirk, Goro hardly even registers how stupid his actual words were, too momentarily dazzled for coherency. Much like Goro himself, Akira gave off the impression of being someone who belonged in these types of places. He slid into the mask easily, managing to look well-dressed yet casual in his black fitted suit jacket and red vest combo. It was positively _unfair_ how attractive Akira was without even trying. “Would you care for dessert now, or would you rather wait for _later_?”

His blatant innuendo snaps Goro out of his stupor, and he takes a moment to sharply kick Akira under the table. “Now sounds perfect,” Goro tells him with a perfectly innocent smile.

“ _Oof_ , yeah, okay fine,” Akira says with a wince. He then lifts his head and glances casually around the room, his gaze lingering in the direction of the kitchen. “What’d you think of it here anyway?” He adds casually. “A little much for me I think, but I didn’t think it was bad.”

“Hmm... I suppose it was satisfactory,” Goro answers him, discreetly fixing his hair and smoothing down the material of his dark tan vest and charcoal black suit jacket.

Akira snorts.

“Only satisfactory? You’re a very expensive date, you know that?”

“If you want someone low maintenance, you’re free to look elsewhere,” Goro says, watching Akira with half-lidded eyes while drumming the fingers of his left hand restlessly on the table. “The door’s wide open. Unless of course, you’re under the impression you can handle me?”

Finally looking back at him, Akira tilts his head slightly and offers him a sly little grin.

“I think I’m the only one who can.”

A quiet thrill goes through him, and Goro takes a moment to fix his tie. He inclines his head toward Akira before leaning in close with a smirk pulling at his lips.

“Oh? And how do you intend to prove that, _Kurusu_?” he purrs.

An unmistakable glint appears in Akira’s eye, and in one impossibly graceful movement he rises from his seat and gets down on his knee with a flourish, taking Goro’s hand delicately within his own.

“Goro Akechi,” he begins with pure unadulterated confidence. “I knew from the first time we met that you were the only one in the world for me. After you introduced yourself by quoting Hegel and held my hand in what was only supposed to be a simple handshake, I knew that I'd never want anyone but you. You’re my best friend, my rival, my soulmate, the star of my existence, and my one true wish."

They’re starting to catch the attention of other people dining in the restaurant. An air of quiet descending around them as people seem to listen in. Goro straightens a little under the attention even as his eyes never leave Akira’s.

“Before you there was only a black hole where the sun should have been,” Akira continues, clutching at Goro’s hand desperately as if overcome with absolute devotion. “You’ve given me the opportunity to feel so many things. I want to devote my entire soul to you, and give you everything you could ever want or ask for. Your beauty compares to no other, like a painting created by the gods themselves. When I gaze upon you and your eyes filled with so much,” he pauses, as if searching for the right word, “...passion? My heart is overcome with so much love I become consumed by it!"

From somewhere in the restaurant there's the distinct sound of someone sniffling through their tears, and from the other direction someone blows their nose. Goro blinks rapidly and his eyes quickly fill with tears of his own as he brings his free hand up to his mouth in a clear sign that he was _very_ overcome with emotion.

"Your hair is like the gold spun by Rumpelstilskin," Akira goes on, his tone bleeding passion. “The shade of your eyes like the sweetest spilled wine. When you crushed that watermelon between your thighs, I knew I wanted my head to be next- excuse me, my heart I mean."

Goro nondescriptly kicks him in the shin.

" _Ow_ ," Akira mouths before quickly continuing. "You have such a _gentle_...soul that shines like the brightest light. I managed to steal your heart, and now I want to steal your hand in marriage. So, would you do me the absolute honor of marrying me?”

With that Akira presents the small black ring box, opening it to reveal the simple yet elegant and tasteful silver diamond-adorned band.

“Oh, I suppose I can oblige,” Goro says and snatches the box from his hands, still preening under the array of compliments, even if he’d never admit it. “You asked so nicely after all.”

Removing the ring, Goro slips it onto his finger himself before standing and helping to pull Akira to his feet. The two of them share a very tasteful kiss while a respectable amount of applause fills the room around them. Goro grins against Akira’s lips, and his smile doesn’t fade as they both once again take their seats, their hands resting palm to palm on top of the table.

“You seem happy,” Akira says, brushing over the skin of Goro’s palm with his thumb.

“Hmm well, it’s not every day you get engaged.”

They share a look that quickly gets interrupted by a woman approaching the table from the direction of the kitchen. She is, of course, the manager they’d spoken with a little bit earlier, and she positively beams at them, a plate held within her hands.

“Oh, that was so touching! Congratulations you two,” she says, her eyes looking suspiciously wet. She then sets the plate down on their table, revealing a very expensive looking dessert. “Please, this is completely on us. Something small to commemorate the occasion.”

“Ah, thank you,” Goro says, offering her a winsome smile. “We’ll gladly accept.”

***

As they leave the restaurant, Goro takes their matching wedding rings out of the pocket of his jacket, or at least, _almost_ matching. He slides the one engraved with _‘you are my wish’_ onto his own finger, and then gestures for Akira to give him his hand. Akira gives him a fondly amused look, but obliges, and Goro slides the ring engraved with _‘you are my light’_ onto its rightful place on Akira’s ring-finger. He admires it for a moment, stroking a thumb over the silver band, before dropping their arms without relinquishing his hold on Akira’s hand.

That hadn’t been the most expensive restaurant they’d ever tried their little stunt in, but it hadn’t been the cheapest either. That award probably went to the time Akira had attempted to propose to him unplanned in the middle of a Big Bang Burger, and while the confused fast-food workers hadn’t given them anything for free, the two of them certainly did receive several annoyed looks for holding up the line.

Akira’s _actual_ proposal had been a bit of a disaster when he’d first asked Goro to marry him about four years ago now, only three years after they’d gotten together during high school. He’d tried so hard to make it perfect and find the right time that, as he later told Goro, he’d been carrying the ring around in his pocket for several weeks while trying to think of how to go about it.

The day it happened, they’d been walking to the grocery store, and Goro had laughed at something Akira had said (probably something stupid at Akira’s expense, although he doesn’t remember exactly what it’d been now). The next thing he knew, Akira had walked face first into a telephone pole, having apparently been so preoccupied with staring at Goro he’d neglected to watch where he’d been walking.

It took a moment for Goro to process what had just happened, but the moment he looked at Akira standing there bright red with embarrassment, Goro had only ended up laughing _harder_. Holding his stomach and doubling over with manic cackling in the middle of the crowded city street. It was then, in Akira’s still semi-dazed state, that he’d ungracefully blurted the question, asking if Goro would marry him. Right then and there.

Goro had accepted, obviously. He'd snatched the ring box that Akira presented to him from his coat pocket like an offering, all the while Goro finding himself amused yet charmed to see that Akira was flustered but still fully committing to his disastrous proposal attempt.

It’d been _cute_. And the ring was, of course, _perfect_. Simple yet tasteful. And unconventionalism aside, it had very possibly been the happiest moment of Goro’s entire life.

But that didn’t mean he ever let Akira live that moment down.

Which was exactly how their little fake proposal stunt started, and then of course continued once they realized they could get free dessert out of it. Besides, Goro would be lying if he said he wasn’t completely elated over the prospect of having groups of people acknowledge how strong their relationship was.

“So, how’d I do?” Akira asks as they start walking home, his hand still intertwined with Goro’s own.

Above them the night sky is particularly clear and beautiful, reminding Goro a little of their wedding venue. Over a year had passed since then already, and sometimes Goro still felt a little like all of this was just a passing dream and none of this was real.

“Hmm it was a bit on the dramatic side,” Goro tells him. “But I think our audience really appreciated that aspect.”

“And did _you_?” Akira asks him, tugging at his hand to pull him to a stop. Offering him a devilishly handsome smile, he adds; “It’s all true you know. I love you so much, sweetheart.”

Goro sputters, flushing a deep red. “Shut up, I hate you,” he manages, pulling back to quickly stride down the sidewalk, dragging Akira unceremoniously behind him.

Predictably, Akira laughs at him. “Whatever you say, honey.” Quickly catching up to walk beside Goro again, he asks; “Do you ever think that anyone’s going to catch on that we keep faking our proposal for the free dessert?”

“Nervous _Kurusu_?”

He knows calling him that always irks Akira nowadays, which is exactly why he does it. It’s also why he’s not at all surprised by the very unimpressed look he earns for his efforts.

“That’s _Kurusu-Akechi_ to you.”

“Akechi-Kurusu,” Goro corrects him immediately.

In truth, they never spoke about what order their name was in _legally_ , because really, when did the two of them ever follow what was strictly legal? What mattered was how they introduced themselves to other people and at social gatherings, and the jury was still out on that one.

“Nope,” Akira says, flashing him a grin. “I beat you at billiards last time we played, it’s Kurusu-Akechi now, _honey_.”

Goro narrows his eyes at him. He knew he was right, but that didn’t mean that he had to be happy about it.

“We’re playing again this weekend,” Goro tells him, leaving no room for argument.

He was getting their rightful name back if it killed him.

With a chuckle, Akira releases his hand to instead wrap an arm around him, pulling Goro against his side as they continue to walk. Goro allows this, sinking into his warmth, even as he continues to pout.

“Whatever makes you happy, hedgehog,” Akira says, his tone gentle and fond.

***

Later that same night, they’re in bed together.

Goro is straddling Akira’s waist, his hands buried in Akira’s hair, tilting his head and attempting to devour him with his mouth. Akira is pliant beneath him, not quite yielding, no that wouldn’t give him enough credit. But he’s always willing to allow Goro to set the pace, whether that pace be fast and desperate or soft and slow. Tonight, Goro is perfectly content to adhere to a slower pace, thoroughly exploring Akira’s mouth with his tongue. Akira groans into the kiss and logically it should make him more horny, but instead Goro just finds it cute. Pulling back from the kiss, Goro peppers kisses all over his face, earning a half annoyed, half amused sounding huff from Akira.

“You’re such a fucking tease,” Akira says as Goro begins making a path down his neck.

His lips curl into a small grin against the skin of Akira’s throat, and he gently nips at his neck with his teeth. “Mmm maybe you should do something about it then.”

“Is that a challenge, sweetheart?”

Goro sharply inhales at the pet-name, a low keening sound escaping the confines of his throat. Akira grabs his waist in a telltale sign that he’s about to flip them, and Goro’s heart pounds in his chest because Akira didn’t take control often, but it was always good when he did. Very good. Only, before Akira can do what he’s promised, their attention is pulled by his phone vibrating on the nightstand with the sound that indicated an incoming text.

“Ignore it,” Goro says, his voice deep and husky even to his own ears. Grabbing Akira’s chin, he tilts his head until his eyes are once again only looking at him. No one else was important and Goro sets off to remind him of that, grinding down on him and reattaching his lips to his neck. Akira releases a choked gasp, moaning deep in his throat, and the sound spurs Goro on to grind down harder, his hand traveling down Akira’s bare chest down to the waistband of his sweatpants.

He slips his fingertips beneath the material before sliding them back out again in a teasing motion. Trailing his lips down to the nape of his neck, Goro gently nips at the skin there, smirking at the way Akira buries his hand in his hair to encourage him further, groaning deep in his throat.

The phone goes off again, and Goro takes that moment to _bite_ down, Akira releasing a sound that’s absolutely sinful as his hips jut up to meet Goro’s own. “ _Fuck_ , Goro.”

Satisfied that he’s won all his attention, Goro slips his hand down past his waistband, only to stop when the phone goes off _yet again_. It’s then immediately followed by another notification, and then another. Goro glares at it, having half a mind to throw the fucking thing across the room.

“Akira, who the fuck is trying to message you?”

“I don’t know, but they’re being a little insistent… Maybe I should check to see if it’s important.”

Goro looks back to him in disbelief, seeing how Akira looks absolutely wrecked beneath him, but there’s that concerned look in his eye that Goro recognizes only too well. Knowing a losing battle when he sees one, Goro rolls back onto his back with a groan. Fucking Akira and his compassionate bleeding heart...

“Sorry,” Akira tells him a bit sheepishly.

Reaching over to the nightstand, Akira grabs his cockblock of a phone, taking a moment to look through it before he frowns.

“What is it?” Goro asks, already knowing he’s not going to like it.

“The others want to get together tomorrow.”

“No,” Goro says immediately, sitting up and pinning him with a hard look. “Tomorrow’s our day off Akira, why the fuck are they planning this so last minute?”

“Ryuji apparently has important news or something?” Akira says with a small sigh that Goro doesn’t like the sound of in the slightest.

“And he’s incapable of saying it over text?” Goro asks, watching Akira place the phone back on the nightstand before he looks back at him with a slightly guilty expression that only serves to confirm Goro’s fears that Akira had definitely just agreed to go.

“Um, I guess so?”

Goro takes that moment to flip into his stomach and bury his face into the pillow with a groan.

“Sometimes I hate your friends, Akira,” he says, voice muffled in response to his half-baked attempt to smother himself with his own pillow.

Akira rubs his back soothingly. “ _Our_ friends, honey.”

Goro just grunts and blindly reaches for him, pulling him down beside him so he can bury his face into his neck instead.

***

The next day, Goro and Akira are sitting at the diner with Morgana, Sakamoto, and Ann.

One unfortunate side effect of being married to Akira, is that it resulted in him getting dragged into these get-togethers with the small group of them. The ‘original Phantom Thieves” as Sakamoto sometimes referred to them as, which Goro supposes did count for something considering all that they’d been through together. Goro hadn’t asked the previous night, but apparently this invitation had been exclusive to the group chat between the three of them, so everyone else got to escape this idiocy. Lucky them. Goro could have been curled up on the couch with Akira right now, or maybe they’d still be in bed, or could have gone out together somewhere _alone_...

Goro sighs, resting his chin on his palm.

Why were they here again?

“Okay, so,” Sakamoto continues relentlessly, and Akira moves his arm behind Goro to gently rub circles into his back, likely sensing his sour mood. “I made sure to take her to this really great restaurant. It was pricey, but you know I didn’t want to just take her to the diner or somethin’-”

Ah right, they were here because Sakomoto thought it would be a great idea to drag them all here just so he could tell them how he managed to get a girlfriend.

A topic of conversation that was absolutely _riveting_.

Goro really did like... _their_ friends, for the most part. Ann was someone he’d even consider a close friend in fact, and the two of them often had spa days and movie nights together. He and Sakamoto however, were always going to be a bit on the complicated side of things. While there were days Goro honestly found himself enjoying his company, there were other times when he was left to wonder if he could ever possibly be annoyed with anyone more. Like now, when Goro was thinking that getting stabbed in the kidney might actually be a preferable way to spend his afternoon in place of having to listen to Sakamoto drone on about his new girlfriend any longer.

“Where did you take her?” Goro asks Sakamoto flatly, hoping that somehow engagement might help speed things up a little bit.

“Oh uh, that really nice restaurant in Kitashinagawa. _Fluorescence_ or something like that. You probably don’t know it, it’s really fancy. They have like ten chandeliers!”

Goro instantly exchanges a look with Akira.

That was actually where they’d only just gone for their latest fake proposal dinner. Their little scheme was of course a secret between them, none of the others knew, not even Ann.

Akira’s lip tilts in the beginnings of a secret little smirk, because while they obviously weren’t going to be divulging that bit of information, Sakamoto would probably be _crushed_ to know that they used his ‘very fancy date’ location as a place to stage their fake proposal. And that hadn’t even been the nicest place they’d attempt to exploit either.

Goro snorts.

“Hey!” Sakamoto says, and he and Akira turn back to look at him. “It’s rude to use your... _spouse telepathy_ to joke about me!”

Goro’s a little afraid to ask, but he does anyway, probably against his better judgment. “Spouse telepathy?”

“Yeah that weird-” he gestures vaguely, “.. _.mind-reading_ thing that you guys do.”

“You don’t seriously think they read minds, right?” Morgana asks, peaking out of his spot in the Monabag to gaze at Sakamoto in exasperation. “They’ve always been like this.”

“I know that! I’m not an idiot!”

Ann elbows him. “Stop being so loud. And I for one think it’s very cute of them.”

“Yeah, whatever man,” Sakamoto says, rubbing his arm as if Ann’s jab at him had actually hurt. “Well anyway, I bought her flowers-”

“What kind?’ Goro interrupts, leaning back in his seat, and Akira instantly slides his arm further behind him so that Goro’s resting in the crook of his shoulder.

“Uh...yellow ones?”

With a smirk pulling at his lips, Goro crosses his arms and raises a brow at him.

“You brought flowers to your confession and you didn’t even know their meaning?” He asks, deciding that ruining Sakamoto’s day was a decent trade-off for him having ruined his. “Are you not aware of how that may be detrimental to your relationship? When Akira buys _me_ flowers, he picks them by meaning, not appearance.”

As he’d predicted, Sakamoto sputters and grapples for an answer. “I- wait, huh? What the hell?! How am I supposed to know any of that? They’re just flowers!”

“ _Just_ flowers,” he mocks, sharing a disbelieving look with Akira who seems as if he’s trying very hard not to laugh.

“Would you two stop doing that!?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right,” Ann says, casually taking a sip of her drink, seeming to be unimpressed by all of them. “The flowers at your wedding all had special meanings, didn’t they?”

Goro hums in confirmation, a warm contented feeling traveling through him at the mention of his and Akira’s wedding. It was a little over a year now since they’d first… tied the knot, as it were. Over a year and it still felt as if it was yesterday, the frankly pathetic amount of happiness he’d felt was easy to remember, as was his pride at having planned a wedding perfect enough to make anyone sick with jealousy.

“The flowers decorating the venue and placed in the center of the tables were plum blossoms,” Goro explains. “Our bouquet consisted of peach roses.”

“Plum blossoms symbolize keeping promises,” Akira finishes for him. “The peach roses symbolize togetherness...and the closing of a deal.” Akira gently squeezes his side as he finishes and Goro presses into him a little more.

“Yeah! That was so sweet.”

“Oh, oh, and don’t you remember how dashing I looked, Lady Ann!? Morgana cuts in enthusiastically, in reference to the fact that Akira had insisted on letting him be the ring-bearer, and had then somehow managed to get his hands on a custom-made tux for the cat. Morgana to this day was under the impression that all of the guests were impressed by how handsome he looked, and not because he was a cat who followed all the wedding cues and marched up perfectly to the beat of the music, the rings settled on a cushion that had been wrapped around him like a make-shift saddle.

“You looked great, Morgana,” Ann tells him politely, causing Morgana to puff his chest out with pride.

“Man, your wedding was insane,” Sakamoto says. “Wasn’t it space-themed or something?”

A spark of pure vitriol rises up at the implication of their wedding having been space-themed, like it was Okumura’s hellscape of a palace or some-shit. Only an utter fool would have missed the obvious metaphor and idiosyncrasy that comprised every part of their venue, down to the designs in the fucking _wine-glasses_. The wine-glasses that had been designed with Gemini and Libra constellations slightly overlapping and coming together as one. To say that-

Akira’s hand moves to rub gently at his hip in soothing little circles, and Goro instantly gets his meaning.

_Relax, honey._

Goro steeply inhales through his nose. “No, it wasn’t _space-themed_ , Sakamoto,” he grits out as calmly as he can. “We based it off a _phrase_. Ad astra per aspera.”

“It’s Latin for; through hardships to the stars,” Akira finishes for him.

_The aspiration to reach the unattainable, and to realize the impossible._

“Yeah uh, that,” Sakamoto says as if he _still_ didn’t quite understand. Well, Goro wasn’t going to spell it out for him anymore, if he was confused then that was his problem, this definitely hadn’t been the first time he was told.

Besides, the wedding itself had perfectly portrayed the meaning in every way, Goro knows that for a fact because he’d sat there for months making sure that every intricate little detail was absolutely perfect. Akira had teased him for it, not quite understanding the countless hours that Goro had spent turning the pages of wedding catalogs, but supported him by making sure he remembered to eat and didn’t stay up too late on work nights. In truth, Goro had _loved_ every second of the planning, even for as frustrating as it sometimes seemed. He was determined to have a wedding so great that no one would be able to forget it for the rest of their lives, and professional wedding planners everywhere would cry knowing that their subpar attempts would never compare.

There were silk tablecloths, black and embroidered with little gemstones that gave off the appearance of the night sky, shimmering from the flickering candlelight. The plates were gold, of course, and had looked stunning on top of the darkness of the tablecloth.

The venue had been dark, silk drawn across the ceiling to give the impression of being out in a tent. It had been Akira’s idea to string fairy lights across the ceiling, and candles had flickered across the sea of tables.

It had been like entering a different world, one crafted for the two of them alone. It’d been both unique and ornate. Filled with meaning and reflective of their relationship as a whole.

“Everything was so pretty!” Ann says, and Goro gives her a smile in thanks. “How did you pay for all that anyway?”

Goro hums, leaning forward and taking a sip of his drink before answering.

“I...happened across a great deal of money and didn’t wish to hold onto it any longer than I had to.”

“The stock market,” Akira lies immediately after.

Both Sakamoto and Ann stare at them.

“Sometimes you two kind of scare me,” Sakamoto says after a moment.

With a bored shrug, Goro nestles further back into Akira, done with that topic of conversation. It was a long story anyway.

***

The next day Goro has a meeting with his coworkers, or more specifically, his assigned Shadow Operatives team for his current mission.

The mission itself isn’t for a few weeks, and it’s pretty standard work, all things considered. Each team was being designated to one area of the Metaverse, tasked with investigating several locations with high power readings that could potentially be a problem. So, today they were meeting to discuss what reading was best for them to pursue first and to figure out a game plan and order for the rest of them.

He’s listening to Souji go over what he thought their best course of action was, when Goro hears Morgana hiss from somewhere behind him.

“What are you doing?!”

“I don’t want to interrupt Goro’s meeting!” Akira says back in a hushed whisper.

The sound of the two of them bickering wasn’t all that uncommon, since Akira’s job as a journalist allowed him to work from home sometimes. Today happened to be one of those days, so Goro doesn’t even bother to see what they’re going on about, instead continuing to focus on what Souji’s saying. At least, up until he catches movement on the bottom of his personal video feed, something popping up at the bottom right corner before vanishing. His brow furrows not understanding what that’d been, but then it happens _again_.

 _Oh my god,_ Goro thinks to himself, realizing exactly what he was seeing.

Goro takes a very deep breath, staring into the camera expressionlessly as Akira’s ass bounces up and down along the bottom of the screen. The rest of his body securely out of frame...his ass the only part of him visible as it slowly makes its way across like it was a fucking progress bar at the bottom of his video call.

Goro was going to kill him.

Maybe his coworkers wouldn’t notice, and he wouldn’t have to try to address why his husband’s bouncing ass was joining them for their meeting.

 _“Hey, what’s… oh my god, Goro behind you. Is that um...?”_ Chie says, trailing off.

Junpei laughs. _“Yeah man, that has to be Akira!”_

_...Fuck._

It’s not even as if it’s Goro who’s doing it, but he’s the one who _married_ the person attached to the ass that was still making its way across the screen.

 _“What’s he trying to do?”_ Fuuka asks.

Goro can’t answer, only continues watching in a mix of disbelief and pure mortification, knowing that Akira wasn’t one to ever interrupt Goro when he was working. Which probably meant that…

_Oh my god._

_“Maybe he’s impersonating a worm?”_ Souji suggests.

Goro briefly debates crawling under his desk to wait until this is over, and then subsequently never look his coworkers in the eye again.

 _“In the background of Goro’s video call?”_ Chie gasps as if realization just hit her. _“Do you think maybe he doesn’t know?”_

 _“Nah, he probably knows,”_ Junpei says. _“Him and Goro do weird shit like this to each other all the time.”_

Goro groans, burying his face in his hands. “I think he’s trying to be stealthy,” he says, his words muffled.

 _“What? Oh...”_ Chie says, trailing off once again.

 _“Akira,”_ Goro says very tiredly, finally turning around in his seat to look at him. “Would you _please_ get your ass out of my meeting?”

Akira freezes, his ass sticking up in the air as if he’s presenting himself to be mounted. Unfortunately, Goro was...whatever the opposite of horny was right now.

“My... _oh_ , shit. Sorry,” Akira says, and Goro is relieved to see realization to down on his face. He doesn’t seem all that embarrassed, which isn’t surprising because Akira was a certain breed of shameless, but he does seem to at the very least look sheepish as he slowly lowers his ass to the ground, laying flat on the floor.

Goro has the presence of mind to ask him if that’s really how he was intending to spend the rest of the meeting, when a look of very intense concentration crosses his features, that calculating look he’d always get when he was either going to do something incredibly smart or incredibly stupid and-

With mute disbelief, Goro watches as Akira slowly starts moving again in the worst attempt at army crawling Goro’s ever had the displeasure of seeing. He continuously juts his ass up high enough to be in view of the damn camera, but the rest of his body is out of frame, so no one can see his awkwardly flailing limbs that make it seem like he’s trying to either swim on dry land or do some sort of attempt at a sexy crawl, only in the most blatantly unsexy way possible.

“Akira, what the fuck are you doing?” Goro asks, too legitimately baffled by what the hell he was witnessing to even know if he was supposed to be mad about it.

In response, Akira freezes again, this time his ass up in a position that really had no place outside of the bedroom.

“Army crawling?” He tells Goro in a way that sounds as if he assumes the answer should be obvious. As if, somehow, he was under the impression that army crawling required military personnel to keep everything low to the ground with the exception to their fucking ass.

Goro pinches the bridge of his nose.

He didn’t even know where to start with this, and he was in the middle of a meeting, so he couldn’t exactly get into this now.

“I’m breaking up with you,” Goro tells him flatly before turning back to the video call.

“You say that almost every week, darling, and you’re still here!” He hears Akira call back to him.

“I told you!” Morgana hisses at the same time.

Goro ignores them both.

 _“...The ex-leader of the phantom thieves huh?”_ Souji says, breaking the silence, just as Akira once again starts moving, and they all watch quietly as his ass crosses that final bit of distance until he’s finally fully out of frame.

 _“Maybe he was trying to be considerate…?”_ Chie suggests, and Goro resists the urge to bury his face in his hands and faceplant into his desk.

At least now it was over. Time to gracefully move on from this.

“Can we all please get back to the meeting?” He pleads instead to the others with a very pleasant smile, and thankfully his team gives him a break and acquiesces.

***

“That was the most pathetic attempt at army crawling I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life,” Goro tells Akira very pointedly the moment he walks into the kitchen, earning a slightly offended look in response.

With the meeting having concluded a few minutes ago, the first thing Goro did was go to find Akira in their apartment. He’d found him quickly, following the direction he’d army crawled away, only to find him in the middle of making coffee.

“Yeah, well I’d like to see you do better,” Akira tells him, sounding a bit indignant, as if he really hadn’t thought his army crawling skills were as deplorable as they were.

“Are you really under the impression that I can’t?”

“Well I’ve never seen it,” he says with a frown. With a gesture towards the ground, he meets Goro’s eyes in a quiet challenge. “Ass on the floor, Goro Kurusu-Akechi.”

Goro growls, grabbing Akira’s arm and pulling him back into the living room with him because hell if he was going to do this across their kitchen floor. Without so much as looking at Akira, he drops to the floor, immediately taking a perfect plank position. He then, of course, perfectly army crawls a few feet forward with very little effort.

Once he’s content that he’s put on a good demonstration, he sits up on the floor, crossing his arms and gazing up at Akira in smug contentment.

“Satisfied?”

For a moment, Akira only stares. Then: “I bet you couldn’t do it again.”

“Just get the fuck down here and try to imitate me,” Goro snaps, uncrossing his arms to jab a finger in the direction of the ground beside him. Akira slowly lowers himself to the ground as directed, and when Goro waves a hand impatiently at him, he moves into a plank position. Goro follows suit immediately thereafter. “Now move just as I do,” Goro says, starting to move forward. “As you might notice, there’s no sticking your ass up like you’re waiting to be mounted.”

“Oh my god.”

Glancing back at him, Goro immediately forgets whatever it was he’d been about to say as he’s once again met with one of the most ridiculous things he’s ever seen.

“How is your ass _still_ in the air?”

“I don’t know!”

“ _Stop_ and _watch_ , Akira,” Goro says, with all the patience he has. If this was _anyone_ but Akira he would have given up by now. “You start in a plank position and keep your hands in loose fists,” he says, making sure to slowly demonstrate every movement of his body. “Then you move one arm forward while keeping your core steady, and the opposite leg from your arm will drag behind you. Understand?” He finishes, only to be met with silence. “Akira?” He questions, turning to look back at him and seeing Akira’s gaze snap to his from wherever it was he’d been looking.

“Huh, what?”

All of that, and Akira hadn’t even been listening? Did he even _care_ that Goro was trying to do something nice for him? Well if he didn’t want to listen, then _fine_.

Moving back into a sitting position, Goro crosses his arms tightly across his chest and pointedly does not look at Akira. “You weren’t even paying attention to me.”

“Oh no, honey,” Akira says, his tone lowering in that deep and comforting way of his which always made Goro feel better. It was a stupid and pathetic reaction to have and so it was absolutely not going to work this time. “I”m sorry, you’re just very distracting.” When Goro still doesn’t give him a reaction, Akira comes to move next to him, placing his hand lightly on his jaw and smoothing his thumb over Goro’s cheek. “I’m very sorry, how can I make it up to you?” Akira asks very quietly, and Goro finds himself leaning into his touch, peeking up at him through his lashes. Once Goro meets his eyes, Akira instantly brightens. “I know, how about I go bouldering with you?”

Goro blinks, that...certainly had not been what he’d been expecting him to say.

“What?”

Dropping his hand from his cheek to Goro’s immense displeasure, Akira gives a noncommittal shrug. “Well, I’m pretty exhausted from just that, so I”m thinking that maybe a bit of training and exercise might help.”

“You’re serious about this?” Goro asks him, eyeing him with surprise. He’d attempted to get Akira to go bouldering with him in the past, but any kind of strenuous exercise was never very high on Akira’s want-to-do list.

Akira nods and gives him a small grin. “I won’t let you down, army-crawling master Goro Kurusu-Akechi.”

Goro scoffs. “I’m not going to go easy on you.”

Leaning in, Akira gives him a chaste peck on the lips.

“I’d be offended if you did,” he says once he pulls back.

***

Bouldering comes very easily to Goro.

He’s _good_ at it, a testament to the fact that Goro has been bouldering for _years_ , not to mention that his work with the Shadow Operatives kept him lean, fit, and toned. Climbing was more of a mental game to see what footholds he could use to reach the top the fastest, his body obeying his every calculated move with little issue.

So, when spotting a foothold that was only a small distance away from the one his hand was currently on, Goro only has to contort his body a little in order to raise his leg up high enough to reach it.

Of course, the moment he does, there’s a curse from beneath him, and Goro looks down just in time to see Akira almost slide down the wall from his spot several feet below him. Well, so much for Akira being his bouldering rival. Sure he understood that Akira was inexperienced with this, but he’d also been the leader of the Phantom Thieves, and he still kept himself in decent shape from his diet and all the walking he did.

So really, this was just pathetic.

With a roll of his eyes, Goro calls down to him. “Akira, stop fucking around and climb.”

“How am I supposed to climb when you’re doing _that_?” Akira complains as he slowly begins to continue his way up the wall, seeming to have regained his balance.

In response to his words, Goro blinks in confusion, not understanding what he was going on about.

“Doing what?”

“...Seriously?” Akira says flatly, staring up at him with a long-suffering look.

Maybe he was just upset about Goro’s superior skill, and was feeling discouraged since their rivalry wasn’t equal. Well, in that case, bouldering wasn’t all that difficult, and so if Akira just stopped _complaining_ and gave it his best effort, then Goro was sure he would be able to use his uncanny observation abilities to find all the best footholds, and would thusly make himself into worthy climbing competition. It’d been the very thing Goro had been hoping would happen when he asked him to go bouldering with him all the way back when they’d only just started dating, Akira could pick things up annoyingly fast after all. Naturally talented at nearly _everything_.

With a huff, Goro eyes one of the handles, and drags his foot up over the top of his arm to rest on top of the foothold.

There’s a heavy thump from below him followed by a distinct ‘ _oof_ ’, and Goro looks down to see that Akira is now flat on his back on the mat at the bottom of the wall.

“You’re torturing me on purpose,” Akira whines.

_Oh for the love of..._

“You said you’d go bouldering with me, get off the fucking floor.”

Akira grumbles something in response that Goro can’t quite hear since he was a fair distance up the wall away from him. But, sure enough, Akira slowly gets to his feet, all the while looking as if he’s severely pouting.

Goro can’t help but grin at the somewhat rare sight, the unflappable Akira standing there and pouting like a child because of Goro. _Cute_. Still, it’s then that Goro decides to try a bit of a different approach since this really didn’t seem to be working.

Quickly making his way down the wall, and jumping down once he’s close enough to the ground, Goro turns and saunters up to Akira.

“What’s the matter _Joker_ ,” he teases. “Can’t keep up with me?”

“You’re cheating...” Akira answers pathetically, looking a lot like a kicked puppy.

“How about this,” he says while pitching his voice down low in the way he knows Akira likes. Moving in close, he fiddles with the material of Akira’s grey t-shirt and gives him a look filled with hidden meaning. “The first one to make it to the top gets...a reward.”

Predictably, Akira immediately perks up at that, his signature lopsided grin tugging at his lips.

“Oh, are you offering an _incentive_ , darling?”

“Perhaps,” Goro purrs and leans in very close. “Since apparently, that’s the only way to get you up this _fucking wall_.” And with that, he pulls back and smiles pleasantly. “Ready, Joker?”

Akira huffs out a disbelieving breath and shakes his head. “You’re _such_ a damn tease.”

But when Goro only winks and turns back to the wall, Akira follows after him anyway.

***

“You can’t tell me you really didn’t know what you were doing!” Akira laments to him as the two of them exit the bouldering gym and walk back out onto the streets. “I was _dying_ Goro, and you let me fall.”

Goro rolls his eyes, not planning to gratify that with a response. It seemed like Akira was really going strong with the dramatics today.

“You owe me a massage when we get home,” Goro says flatly instead, quite honestly still a little annoyed that Akira had taken to falling down the bouldering wall _once again_ instead of fucking _climbing_ the stupid thing. He hadn’t even provided anything close to the normal thrill of competition.

“Sounds like that could be fun for us both,” Akira says, his tone deep and low. Goro glances at him, noticing that he was still definitely... _worked up_ , his eyes dark and inviting.

In a split-second decision, Goro drags him into a small alcove on the street, nestled in-between the buildings and hidden away from the passing people. Grabbing Akira’s shirt and pulling him forward, Goro kisses him, _hard_.

Akira almost immediately moans into the kiss, rushing into action and pushing Goro back until he’s pinned against the wall of the building, which Goro finds is an extremely sexy thing for Akira to do. Unfortunately, this probably wasn’t the best place for a quickie and Goro had _other plans_ anyway, so before things get too heated, Goro gently pushes back on Akira’s chest until he gets the hint and pulls away.

When he does, Goro very nearly yanks him right back in when he sees how utterly enticing he looks, standing there panting with his eyes dark and his lips shiny with saliva. Only barely managing to control himself, Goro runs a finger over his swollen bottom lip before he leans in as if to kiss him again, only to purposefully let his lips brush his own finger instead.

He grins.

“Fun for us both, you said? Well, not if I have anything to say about it, _loser_ ,” Goro breathes, pulling back to eye the beautiful mix of lust and betrayal adorning Akira’s pretty face.

Goro then pats his cheek and pulls away before Akira’s head starts working again. “I suppose I can be forgiving if you can manage to beat me home.” Then he quickly steps out onto the city street, pausing only to yell back one more thing at Akira. “Oh, and towards the end, I _was_ doing it on purpose.”

He winks at him, and then he turns and rushes down the street, laughing as Akira’s voice carries after him, already not far behind.

“I _knew_ it!”

***

Goro’s once again sitting in on a zoom meeting, listening as his coworkers debate amongst themselves what shadow they should go after next.

He’s aware that he should probably be a more active participant in the conversation, but instead he finds his gaze constantly traveling down to the bottom right corner of the screen.

Since that first day, Goro had come to find humor in what had happened, The damage was already done after all, and his coworkers had essentially accepted this as normal behavior anyway. So fuck it, he _might_ have taunted Akira a little before today’s meeting.

In his defense, he was interested to see how many times Akira would fail miserably at army crawling before he finally figured it out.

Speaking of…

“One moment,” Goro says pleasantly to his coworkers before turning around in his seat to yell at Akira. “We can still see your ass!”

_“Goddammit!”_

***

The first thing Goro does when he notices that Akira has fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV, is he retreats back to their room to tie his hair up in a ponytail.

Then, after rechecking to make sure Akira is fast asleep, he makes his way into the kitchen.

Once he’s in there, it’s with a great amount of stealth, that he slowly begins to collect ingredients from the fridge.

It was excessive, albeit necessary that he had to sneak around like this in his own damn home. And honestly, Goro absolutely resented the fact that he’d been banned from the kitchen. It bothered him that Akira could cook, while Goro’s culinary prowess…left something to be desired. While Akira had always been polite about accepting his bastardized attempts at cooking, it was the six times Goro had burnt himself, the four times he’d set off the smoke alarm, and then cooking attempt number thirty-two (that they promised to never speak about again) that cemented him being banned from ever trying to cook again.

Not that a simple case of banishment was ever going to stop Goro Akechi-Kurusu. He’s sure he knows where he went wrong last time, and Akira and Morgana were simply overreacting. He’d prove them wrong and become a good enough cook to then be able to make Akira meals the same way that he always did for Goro; and then Goro would become a worthy husband and Akira’s equal in domesticity.

Laying his mix of potential ingredients on the counter for nikujaga, he grabs a knife and starts chopping- at least for a minute or two before he's promptly interrupted.

“What- Crow?!”

Goro freezes, his knife halfway to the potato, looking up to see none other than Morgana standing there in the doorway. Fuck.

“Akira’s sore from working out so much,” Goro explains before the little snitch of a cat can yell for Akira. “So, I’m going to attempt to cook for him.” His eyes narrowing, he adds; “Do you have a problem with that?”

Morgana meets his gaze fearlessly, having long been immune to any of Goro’s silent threats. Walking farther into the kitchen, Morgana hops up on the kitchen counter where Goro is trying to work, and looks over what he’s doing as if undecided whether he’s going to ruin Goro’s day or not.

“I don’t like this. This never turns out good,” Morgana says to him finally. “I’m telling Joker.”

“Don’t you even try, cat,” Goro says and lunges for him just as Morgana goes to leap off the counter, catching him mid-air.

“HEY! Don’t manhandle me!” He yowls. “And I’m not a- _mmmph!_ ”

Goro shoves a hand over his mouth only to have Morgana bite him. “You little-shit, can’t you mind your own damn business!”

“You’re going to set the house on fire!”

“I am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am-“

“What did I just walk into?”

Goro looks up in horror to see Akira standing there in the doorway, looking as if he’d just woken up from a nap.

“Nothing.” Goro says, smiling pleasantly, the absolute picture of innocence. “Morgana and I were simply...having a discussion.”

He shoots a quick look of warning at the cat still held in his arms, only to have his efforts completely ignored.

“Crow’s attempting to cook again!” Morgana the little fucking snitch yowls, leaping out of his hold and onto the floor. Goro tries to kick him, good naturedly, but Morgana easily steps out of the way of it and gives him an exceedingly smug look.

Akira peers at him in concern. “I thought we agreed you’d stop trying to cook alone after attempt thirty-two?”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Goro grumbles, crossing his arms.

“Goro, you almost set the entire kitchen on fire.” He pauses, then adds; “Again.”

Goro huffs.

With a small smile, Akira makes his way over to him. He trails his hands down his arms, gently pulling them from the way Goro had them crossed tightly at his chest. Goro deflates almost instantly, simultaneously hating and loving the effect Akira has over him as almost all the tension and anger drains from his body at Akira’s gentle touch.

Continuing to smooth his hands over Goro’s arms, Akira softly says, “Let me help you, honey.” When Goro meets his eyes, Akira offers him an unfairly charming grin. “Not everything has to be a competition. The two of us can also make a good team, remember?”

Distantly Goro’s aware of Morgana making exaggerated gagging noises before bolting from the room, vanishing out the door of the kitchen to somewhere else in the apartment.

 _Ha, good riddance,_ Goro thinks to himself. _Who was Akira’s favorite now?_

Still, he finds himself considering what Akira’s saying, and with a spark of inspiration, he realizes that he’s absolutely right. He was stupid for always refusing Akira’s offers to help before. An idea starts to form in his head, and Goro grins.

“Not just a good team, the _best_ team,” Goro tells him meaningfully, earning a slightly concerned look in response as Akira takes in the sudden fire in his expression.

“Um, yeah?”

“No one can compare to us,” Goro continues, the thrill at the idea of becoming a truly formidable team in the kitchen, able to conquer any of the culinary arts. They could even throw disgustingly ornate house parties, and impress the hell out of all their guests. Leaning in closer, Goro tells him; “We’re going to make the best fucking nikujaga this city has ever seen.”

Akira quietly laughs at him, clear amusement in his eyes, and he pulls Goro in closer by the sides of his arms, kissing him with exquisite softness.

“Yes, my love,” he says, smiling against Goro’s lips.

***

“See, what did I tell you?” Akira says sometime later when they’re both seated across the table from each other, the fruit of their efforts sitting on plates in front of them. “This is why you need to listen to me more.”

Goro, of course, promptly launches a perfectly cooked piece of potato at him with his chopsticks.

***

When Goro walks into the living room only to see Akira once again attempting to army crawl across the floor, he’s really not sure why he’s surprised. Akira has, after all, been surprisingly dedicated about perfecting this, and the whole thing at the very least did prove to be amusing.

He decides to watch Akira silently for a bit, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms as he notes how much better Akira’s form is, but it isn’t long before Akira notices him standing there and visibly jumps at his presence.

“...Having fun?” Goro asks with amusement, pushing away from the wall to wall closer.

“Well,” Akira says, moving into a sitting position. “I think I’ve finally got it this time!”

He looks very proud of himself for this, and Goro hums in agreement.

“I saw, you’re doing much better.” He allows his praise to sink in for a brief moment before he meets Akira’s eyes in challenge. “Now try doing it faster.”

Akira responds to the blatant challenge as Goro expected he would, which of course results in Goro getting to watch as Akira gets back into position and attempts to quickly move across the room with supreme concentration. And Goro grins when ultimately he fails, his ass rising into the air like a flag of pure defeat. _Ha_.

“You can’t do it fast,” Goro tells him, watching as Akira collapses back onto the floor in response to his failure. “You’re not supposed to use your legs like that.”

“Yeah, well why don’t we put that to the test?” Akira asks with a devious knowing little grin. “I bet you’re not faster than me.”

“I’m not falling for this again.”

“What, afraid you’re going to lose?”

...No, Goro was absolutely _not_ afraid he was going to lose. Akira was very clearly trying to taunt him into doing this, because he had to realize that Goro would be significantly faster and the clear winner, unless he really did think that Goro would somehow lose and-

_...Fuck._

“I hate you,” Goro says, already getting down on the floor.

“You keep saying that, pookie bear, but I’m still not buying it somehow.”

It’s the stupidest pet-name he’s ever heard and Goro ends up torn between hiding his face in embarrassment and punching him.

“Please stop,” He says, his voice coming out choked which was only that much more mortifying. Stupid Akira and his fucking ridiculous endearments.

Of course, Akira just grins at him. “Okay fine,” he says, apparently deciding to take pity on him. “We’ll race to the end of the table. You ready?”

“As if you even have to ask.”

Akira does a quick countdown from three, and then the two of them take off across the floor. It quickly becomes clear that, as he anticipated, Goro is the far faster and superior army crawler out of the two of them. He quickly passes by Akira and then reaches the end of the table, admittedly a little out of breath. Rolling onto his back, he looks back to see Akira still making his way across the floor, looking like an absolute _idiot_.

This entire situation was utterly ridiculous.

Goro snorts and then before he can control it he breaks out into a fit of laughter.

When Akira finally army crawls over to his side, he hovers over him. “Hey, sweetheart,” Akira says with a stupidly attractive little grin. The nickname once again makes his heart flutter pathetically and his insides twist into knots, Goro’s face instantly flushing red. Flustered and the slightest bit overwhelmed, even after all the years they’ve spent together, the only thing Goro can think to do is grab a fist full of Akira’s shirt and pull him into a hard kiss.

When they part, they rest their foreheads against each other, the both of them breathless.

Akira brings a hand up to cup his jaw, his thumb gently running over his cheek. He’s looking at Goro like he’s the best thing he’s ever seen in his life, and Goro’s heart flutters hopelessly in his chest. “Want to make a blanket fort and watch a movie?”

“A blanket fort?” Goro snorts. “What are you, four?”

“It’s entirely for my benefit,” Akira says like a liar. It’s a very considerate lie however, since Goro actually loved making blanket forts since he never got to as a kid, but he’d only admitted that to Akira _once_ and he doesn’t intend to ever admit it again. “Will you be ever so kind as to help me?”

“Mmm I suppose it’d collapse if you were to do it without my assistance.”

Akira grins at him knowingly, leaning in to press his forehead against his. “Oh absolutely,” he says. “Without a doubt.”

Leaning in that last bit of distance, Goro kisses him once more, before lightly placing the palm of his hand against Akira’s chest to gently push him back.

“Go get the blankets and pillows from the bedroom,” Goro tells him. “I’ll start setting up in here.”

“Try not to miss me too much,” Akira says, thumbing over his cheek a final time before finally rising to his feet.

...In the scarce few minutes he’s gone, Goro finds that he does in fact, miss him.

***

The TV drones on in the background of the dark room, night having fallen some time ago.

Goro has seen this episode maybe a hundred times, it’s one of the originals from his Featherman R Volume 2 Collector’s Edition box-set, so he doesn’t have to concentrate much to know what’s going on. Neither does Akira, not for the amount of times that Goro has made him sit down and watch these with him, even though Akira’s interest in Featherman has always been more casual than anything. This obviously never stops Goro from pointing things out as they watch, quoting theories about different things as well as evidence for the Black/Red ship, while Akira does his best to follow along and ask questions.

They’re both sitting on the floor, Goro having long nestled between Akira’s legs, his back resting against Akira’s chest, feeling his heartbeat as well as his warmth through his loose t-shirt. Akira’s arms are wrapped securely around him, but every so often Akira moves to gently massage his thigh, or run a hand gently across his side, and Goro always soaks up the attention. The blanket is thrown across them both, thin since the blanket-fort that they’d made manages to keep in a fair bit of heat despite the impressive size of it that they’ve succeeded in making, its reach traveling from above the television set all the way to the couch. Morgana always grumbled about the heat everytime they made one of these, but that of course didn’t stop him from curling up beside them, his fur pressing against the outside of Akira’s leg as he sleeps.

Goro can’t help but feel warm. Secure.

In this particular Featherman episode, the team travels to a small closely-knit village on their quest to find a researcher that was rumored to have escaped the main research facility with his life. A bit of backstory is revealed when Black Condor admits to Red Hawk and the others that he often found himself envious of others for having homes and families since he never had one of his own. It was an episode that Goro knew was supposed to stress the importance of family and to not take anything for granted, but it had of course always hit a little differently for Goro.

In his mind’s eye, Goro recalls a version of himself far younger watching this episode when it’d first aired. He remembers the way that he’d understood Black Condor, and had thought the same way he did. And he remembers how he too had been envious of other families because he thought that he’d never again have a real one.

...But he’d been wrong.

Sure, maybe Goro wouldn’t really ever know what it was like to have a perfect childhood home, and maybe he’d always be a little envious of people who did. But he no longer missed that like he used to, desired it with everything he held in his heart.

Because where he is now in this stupid blanket fort, tucked up against Akira with Morgana’s small form beside them- Goro feels completely _safe_ and _wanted_ in a way he used to never dream could have been possible.

Somehow, impossibly, Goro had found the perfect place for himself. Somewhere he belonged implicitly, that he trusted would remain unchanged for the rest of his life.

The physical apartment itself notwithstanding, Goro had long come to realize that anywhere Akira was, was home.

***

When the next video meeting comes along, Goro once again has his eyes glued to the bottom right corner of his own video feed. He has a good feeling about today, which was pretty unusual for him since he usually tended to lean towards blatant pessimism. But he knew Akira was going to go for attempt number three today, and Goro was very interested in seeing how he was going to do.

Goro’s in the process of reaching for his drink, when he hears movement coming from behind him, just slightly off screen, and he instantly straightens, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Seconds tick by, and Goro can hear the distinct sound of Akira moving across the carpet; however, there’s no ass to be found bouncing across his video call.

He’d finally done it. At long last, he’d-

“Fuck yes _finally_ , I did it!”

...He’d successfully crawled by, out of view of the camera, only to completely ruin the entire point by loudly interrupting the call anyway.

Unsure if he wants to laugh or scream yet, Goro shoots Akira a hard look, and he earns a sheepish smile in return.

“Oops...um, sorry.”

Goro snorts, his lips tilting into a fondly amused smile. Then before he knows it, he’s _laughing_ , ugly manic cackling like the day that Akira had walked into that fucking telephone poll on the day he proposed.

His husband was an absolute _fool_.

 _“Goro, is everything...okay? What’s going on?”_ Chie asks from the call, but Goro’s laughing too hard to even attempt to answer her.

 _“Oh wait, was that Akira-kun?”_ He hears Fuuka ask.

 _“Of course it was,”_ Junpei answers, just as Goro’s finally managing to get himself together. _“He only gets that look on his face when it’s Akira.”_

Turning back towards the screen, Goro’s brow furrows in confusion. “What look?”

 _“I don’t know, man,”_ Junpei responds with a shrug. _“You just look really happy or something, I guess.”_

Goro is ready to reply with a smart remark, only to realize that he doesn’t exactly have one. He finds his gaze going back to Akira, catching his eye and seeing that same impossibly fond look that he’s seen maybe a hundred times by now.

It was the look Akira had on his face the moment that he’d proposed for the first time, for as disastrous as that’d been. It was the look he’d had when they’d been standing at the altar the day of their wedding, all the planning in the world not quite preparing Goro for the world of emotions he’d get from finally being able to legally call Akira his husband. And it was the same look Akira had when he’d first confessed that he was in love with Goro, all the way back in high school a small lifetime ago. Goro had run from it then, of course, too overwhelmed and unable to believe that it could really be true.

It was...the way that Goro had always dreamed someone could someday look at him. As if he was important. Cherished. Loved.

…As if he was the most important person in his world.

“Hmm well, I suppose that I am.” he finds himself finally admitting out loud, allowing himself a moment of honesty and vulnerability with his coworkers, because really, there was no use in trying to hide it. It was fairly obvious, after all.

Somehow, impossibly, Goro had become completely and utterly happy and _content_ with his life.

And for all the eccentricities of their marriage, Goro wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a birthday gift for kiva who asked for married shuakeshu content! Happy birthday kiva!!! I hope you enjoyed this<3
> 
> (also yes, there are definitely obligatory tkyt references in this, but i didn't actually intend for this to be connected hfdfhd) 
> 
> And thank you so much to [Lolo](https://twitter.com/AbsenceofRoses) who helped me so much with this! She actually sat there with me to help plan an entire shuakeshu wedding that I only needed to reference in that one scene, and I can’t thank her enough<3
> 
> Comments/kudos are always appreciated!  
> You can find me on Twitter~ @pana_pancake


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